SMD

News story: Queen Mary announces Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Envisagenics and Cancer Research Horizons

Collaboration will leverage Envisagenics' SpliceCore® AI platform for expanded discovery and research in hematopoietic cancers

News story: Céline Dion reveals she has stiff person syndrome – an expert explains the condition

Richard David Leslie, Professor of Diabetes and Autoimmunity at Queen Mary University of London, has written for the Conversation on stiff person syndrome.

News story: UK Government launches Newborn Genomes Programme

The UK Government has today (13 December) announced the launch of a Newborn Genomes Programme, a new research study that will explore the effectiveness of using whole genome sequencing to detect rare diseases in newborn babies.

News story: Queen Mary research recognised in top 10 advances in genomic medicine in 2022

Two papers from Queen Mary University of London have been selected by experts in genomic medicine in the ten most important advances in applying genomic medicine to clinical care in 2022.

News story: Large international study uncovers genes involved in heart disease

Scientists link dozens of new genome sites to coronary artery disease risk and pioneer a powerful method for illuminating the biological roots of common disease.

News story: Action needed to tackle neighbourhood ‘hotspots’ where fewer than 60% of children receive first MMR vaccine on time

There has been an increase in neighbourhoods in north east London where fewer than 60% of children receive their first MMR vaccine on time following the pandemic, according to research from Queen Mary University of London. 

News story: Hope for first blood test to detect deadly heart inflammation

£50 blood test could improve diagnosis of myocarditis and help patients get lifesaving treatment earlier

News story: Risk of severe asthma attacks doubled after Covid-19 restrictions lifted

Adults with asthma had, at one point, an approximately doubled risk of a severe asthma attack after Covid-19 restrictions were relaxed in the UK, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London*, funded by Barts Charity.

News story: Monkeypox: latest data reveals how the virus has affected women and non-binary people

Dr Chloe Orkin, Professor of HIV Medicine at Queen Mary University of London and Director of the SHARE collaborative, has written for The Conversation after leading an international collaboration of clinicians to publish the first case study series of monkeypox infection during the 2022 outbreak in cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) women and non-binary individuals assigned as female at birth.

News story: First study of monkeypox infection in women provides new insights to inform public health response to ongoing outbreak

An international collaboration of clinicians, established and led by Professor Chloe Orkin at Queen Mary University of London, has published the first case study series of monkeypox infection during the 2022 outbreak in cisgender (cis) and transgender (trans) women and non-binary individuals assigned as female at birth.

News story: Not ‘one size fits all’: More research is needed into technology for elite women’s football to level the playing field

With the rapid rise in the growth and professionalism of women’s football in the UK, more research is needed into gender-specific technology to help elite female footballers perform at their best, according to research led by Queen Mary University of London and co-authored by England captain Leah Williamson. 

News story: Centre of the Cell’s STEMPod to undergo state-of-the-art computer and film technology refurbishment

This new investment in our unique learning space will ensure that Centre of the Cell continues to inspire young people in East London and beyond. 

News story: Queen Mary appoints Claudia Langenberg as Director of new Precision Healthcare University Research Institute

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Claudia Langenberg as the Director of Queen Mary’s new Precision Healthcare University Research Institute (PHURI).

News story: 1 in 4 Chilled Sliced Meats Sold in the UK are Saltier than Atlantic Seawater, according to new data

New research by Action on Salt from Queen Mary University of London has revealed that two-thirds of all chilled sliced meats including sliced ham, chicken, corned beef and salami sold by leading grocery retailers are dangerously high in salt – with one in three failing to meet the national salt reduction targets.

News story: Cancer Toolkit will support GPs to reduce avoidable delays in cancer diagnosis and care

The Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG) has launched a Cancer Toolkit to GP practices across North East London. It includes a clinical template, patient record searches, a data dashboard and a new Cancer Diagnosis Audit Tool. Together, the resources will support GP practice teams to address inequalities and deliver timely cancer diagnosis and care for everyone who needs it.

News story: CEG provides swift response to data needs for the Polio Booster Campaign

Queen Mary’s Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG) is collaborating with the NHS in North East London, providing intelligence to inform the logistics of the immunisation campaign and software tools to ease the burden for GPs.

News story: New early signs of Parkinson’s uncovered in most diverse UK study to date

Hearing loss and epilepsy are early features of Parkinson’s, according to pioneering new research from Queen Mary University of London – the first UK study of the condition in such a diverse population, published today in JAMA Neurology.

News story: The REMODEL project: Remodelling tumour microenvironments to improve immunotherapy

Professor Fran Balkwill from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London has received a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Frontier Research grant of over £2 million to investigate the most effective ways to remodel cancers to enhance the effects of immunotherapy.

News story: Funding boost to help develop targeted healthcare for patients in east London

Barts Health NHS Trust have received £20.9 million in funding from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), providing a major boost to their plans to tackle health inequalities and deliver pioneering, innovative healthcare to the people of east London and beyond.

News story: Profiling the entire cancer genome identifies new subgroups of blood cancer that can be used to predict likely clinical outcomes

A collaborative study in Nature Genetics has led to largest and most comprehensive analysis of the entire genomic landscape of the most common type of blood cancer called chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), as part of Queen Mary's 100,000 Genome Project.

News story: Research identifies new way to halt pancreatic cancer invasion by targeting healthy cells

Researchers from Barts Cancer Institute at Queen Mary University of London have identified a new channel of communication through which non-cancerous cells drive the invasion of cancer cells in pancreatic cancer.   

News story: New study reveals genes that control our ‘metabolic individuality’ and disease risk

A new study co-led by Queen Mary University of London’s Professor Claudia Langenberg, newly appointed Director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute, undertaken in her prior roles at the Berlin Institute of Health at the Charité (BIH) and University of Cambridge, and Professor Adam Butterworth at the University of Cambridge, has discovered more than 300 regions in the genome that contribute to a person’s ‘chemical fingerprint`.

News story: Detecting the undetected: measuring levels of three proteins in the blood can aid detection of undiagnosed prediabetes

New research led by Queen Mary University of London’s Professor Claudia Langenberg, newly appointed Director of the Precision Healthcare University Research Institute, undertaken in her prior roles at the Berlin Institute of Health and University of Cambridge, has identified a three-protein signature in the blood that can improve detection of impaired glucose tolerance, a form of prediabetes.

News story: New drug can successfully treat patients typically resistant to high blood pressure treatment

A new drug called Baxdrostat has been shown to significantly reduce high blood pressure (hypertension) in patients who may not respond to current treatments for the condition, according to results from a phase II trial led jointly by a Queen Mary University of London researcher and colleagues at CinCor Pharma, USA.

News story: New Global Health Research Centre will strengthen healthcare and build capacity in research for non-communicable diseases in Latin America

Professor Victoria Bird, a researcher at Queen Mary University of London (Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry), has been awarded a £7m grant from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to develop a new Global Health Research Centre with partners across Latin America.

News story: Cleveland Clinic London enters into medical education collaboration with Queen Mary University of London

Cleveland Clinic London has begun training final year medical students from Queen Mary University of London’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry in an education collaboration that will help train the next generation of medical professionals.

News story: Queen Mary researchers named in top 100 female scientists in the UK

Frances Balkwill, Irene Leigh and Claudia Langenberg have been named in research.com’s top 100 female scientists in the UK.

News story: Study of over 5 million people’s DNA reveals genetic links to height

An international team of researchers, including experts from Queen Mary University of London and the GIANT consortium, have identified over 12,000 genetic variants that influence a person’s height.

News story: A new route to evolution: how DNA from our mitochondria works its way into our genomes

Scientists have shown that in one in every 4,000 births, some of the genetic code from our mitochondria – the ‘batteries’ that power our cells – inserts itself into our DNA, revealing a surprising new insight into how humans evolve.

News story: Understanding the role of cancer’s circular genome in tumour evolution

New research, co-led by Dr Benjamin Werner from Barts Cancer Institute and Dr Weini Huang from the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, indicates that the circular DNA structures present in around a third of cancers lead to extensive genetic diversity within tumours, giving them the ability to adapt rapidly to environmental stress and resist targeted cancer treatment.  

News story: Suicide risk almost seven times higher after diagnosis of young onset dementia

A study of nearly 600,000 people in England shows that suicide risk in the first three months following a dementia diagnosis for patients aged under 65 is nearly 7 times higher than in patients without dementia.

News story: Children and young adults with Down Syndrome four times more likely to have diabetes

Children and young adults* with Down Syndrome are four times more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London and King’s College London.

News story: Healthcare workers more than three times more likely to have experienced burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic

Healthcare professionals working during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are up to 3.3-times more likely to be burned out compared to non-healthcare professionals, despite the rates of mental health issues being similar, according to new research led by Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Queen Mary and Barts Health announce the appointment of new Clinical Team

A new team of Deputy Directors of Clinical Research has been appointed jointly by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust to support the work of recently appointed Director of Clinical Research, Professor Rupert Pearse.

News story: Queen Mary students launch public health campaign after nitrous oxide causes rise in spinal complications among young people

Medical students at Queen Mary University of London have launched a public health campaign to educate teenagers on the neurological risks of using nitrous oxide.

News story: ‘Too afraid to have kids’ – how BirthStrike for Climate lost control of its political message

Dr Heather McMullen, Lecturer at Queen Mary's Centre for Public Health & Policy, has co-written for The Conversation on her research into Birthstrike and its flaws before the campaign disbanded in 2021.

News story: Monkeypox may cause neurological damage, including inflammation of the brain – new study

James Brunton Badenoch from Queen Mary University of London has written for The Conversation on a new study on the effects of monkeypox.

News story: Researchers identify new genomic regions that influence the severity of COVID-19 disease

An international collaboration of human geneticists involving researchers at Queen Mary University of London and the Genes & Health study has identified 11 new genomic regions that influence the severity of COVID-19 disease.

News story: Queen Mary opens new medical campus in Ilford

Redbridge Council has this week announced that Queen Mary University of London will be opening a satellite campus for the teaching of medicine in the heart of Ilford.

News story: Researchers offer solution to help tackle patient backlog in the NHS bowel cancer screening programme

Research suggests that a solution for clearing the backlog of patients in the bowel cancer screening programme awaiting colonoscopy appointments is to raise the blood level on the test that triggers a colonoscopy invitation.

News story: Monkeypox: an expert explains what gay and bisexual men need to know

Professor Chloe Orkin has written for The Conversation on monkeypox, discussing how it spreads, public health messaging, and the importance of vaccinations.

News story: New PCR test for oral cancer set to revolutionise diagnosis and treatment

qMIDS, the world’s first rapid oral cancer test, has been developed by Queen Mary University of London and an international team of researchers. It has the potential to relieve pressure on the NHS and may improve the early detection of oral cancer.

News story: New clinical symptoms identified in largest international case study series of confirmed monkeypox cases

An international collaboration of clinicians led by Queen Mary University of London has identified new clinical symptoms in people infected with monkeypox in the largest case study series to date.

News story: Benefits of NHS Breast Screening Programme outweigh the small risk of overdiagnosis

The NHS Breast Screening Programme in England has shown little, if any, evidence of overdiagnosis according to a new study from Queen Mary University of London and King’s College London researchers, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research.  

News story: UK community survey demonstrates overwhelming demand for monkeypox vaccine information and vaccine roll-out

Interim data from a community-based monkeypox (MPXV) survey demonstrates an overwhelming demand for monkeypox vaccine and vaccine-roll-out, especially amongst those who consider themselves to be at risk-of MPXV.

News story: Professor Sir Mark Caulfield recognised for services to medicine

Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, Vice Principal for Health at Queen Mary University of London has received an honorary degree from Queen’s University Belfast.  

News story: Seeing the same GP is good for your health, but only half of patients are able to do so

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London found that only half of patients regularly see the same GP, despite increasing evidence that continuity of care between GPs and patients leads to better outcomes.

News story: Interrupting the treatment of vulnerable people on immune-suppressing medicines doubles their antibody response to COVID-19 booster vaccination

A major clinical trial, involving researchers from Queen Mary University of London and led by the University of Nottingham, has found that by interrupting the treatment of vulnerable people on long-term immune suppressing medicines for two weeks after a COVID-19 booster vaccination, their antibody response to the jab is doubled.

News story: Boosting the development and capacity of clinical trials in East London

Barts Chairty have invested over £3.1m in funding to further develop the Clinical Trials Unit at Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London.

News story: Science and art collide at this year’s Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition

An artwork by Queen Mary University of London cancer researcher, Professor Tyson Valentine Sharp, has been selected for display in Room VIII at the Royal Academy of Art’s prestigious Summer Exhibition.

News story: Queen Mary University of London researchers join global Cancer Grand Challenges team taking on some of the most challenging forms of cancer

Two researchers from Queen Mary University of London are part of a new world-class team of researchers that has been selected to receive a £20m Cancer Grand Challenges award.

News story: More than a quarter of people with asthma are still over-using rescue inhalers – putting them at increased risk of severe attacks and hospitalisation

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London have found that more than a quarter of asthma patients are still over-using inhalers intended for rapid relief of symptoms.

News story: Omicron infection is a poor booster of COVID-19 immunity

People infected with the Omicron variant show poor immune boosting against future SARS-CoV-2 infection, according to the findings of a study published in the journal Science. The research team, which included researchers from Queen Mary University of London, looked at how the complex patchwork of immunity in the population following vaccination and previous infection influences our future protection against SARS-CoV-2.

News story: Tackling the obesity epidemic with new research on metabolism

Researchers from Queen Mary have been awarded £2.67 million in funding to conduct innovative research in the field of metabolism.

News story: Funding success for project to improve sex and gender inclusivity in medical research

Professor Chloe Orkin, Clinical Professor of HIV Medicine at the Blizard Institute, is named as a collaborator on a new project that aims to develop policy on how sex and gender are considered in medical research in the UK.   

News story: Mary Collins appointed as Director of Queen Mary’s Blizard Institute

Professor Mary Collins, the new Director of Queen Mary University of London’s Blizard Institute, has ambitious plans for expanding our world-leading multidisciplinary research.

News story: Queen Mary researchers receive prestigious MRC grant for collaborative research project to better understand human disease

Dr Sarah McClelland of Queen Mary University of London is part of a collaborative project that has been awarded £1.2 million in funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to investigate the mechanisms leading to cancer development in cells infected with human papillomavirus (HPV).

News story: Five tips for young people dealing with long COVID – from a GP

Dr Dipesh Gopal from Queen Mary's Wolfson Institute of Population Health has written for The Conversation giving advice for young people with long Covid.

News story: New study shows genes can predict response to arthritis treatment and paves the way for future drug development

New research from Queen Mary University of London, published in Nature Medicine, has shown that molecular profiling of the diseased joint tissue can significantly impact whether specific drug treatments will work to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. 

News story: E-cigarettes may be more effective than nicotine patches in helping pregnant women who smoke quit, and are just as safe

E-cigarettes are just as safe as nicotine patches for pregnant women and may help more women stop smoking, new research from Queen Mary University of London suggests. The study, which was published in Nature Medicine, is the first to examine the safety and efficacy of e-cigarettes among pregnant smokers.

News story: Unvaccinated individuals with heart problems up to 9 times more likely to die or suffer serious complications from COVID-19

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have combined evidence from 110 previous Covid-19 studies and found that unvaccinated individuals who contract the virus when they already have high blood pressure, diabetes or major heart damage are up to nine times more likely to suffer serious outcomes - including death, lung failure, admission to intensive care and kidney problems.

News story: Scientists to trial world-first long-acting injection for high blood pressure

Scientists from Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust are trialling an investigational medication for high blood pressure (hypertension) in a clinical study which will give patients an injection of the medication every 6 months.

News story: Queen Mary team awarded funding for research project to improve post-surgical outcomes in Africa

A team of Queen Mary and African researchers have successfully secured almost £3 million in funding for a new research programme led by Queen Mary’s Professor Rupert Pearse and Professor Bruce Biccard from the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

News story: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to the control of drug-resistant TB in Europe and the world

Dr Jessica Potter from Queen Mary's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has co-written for The Conversation on Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatening the fight against tuberculosis.

News story: Professor Arunthathi Mahendran appointed as the Institute Director for IHSE

As the new Institute Director for the Institute of Health Sciences Education (IHSE) at Queen Mary, Arunthathi brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge.

News story: New report calls for personalised testing for safety and effectiveness of common medicines throughout the NHS

Testing patients for genetic variations that affect how their body will respond to common medicines must be integrated fully, fairly and swiftly into the NHS, according to a report published today. The report is by the British Pharmacological Society, whose President-elect is Queen Mary University of London’s Vice Principal for Health Professor Sir Mark Caulfield, and the Royal College of Physicians.  Dr Emma Magavern, a clinician at Queen Mary, is also one of the report’s co-authors.

News story: Queen Mary researcher receives funding to investigate the impact of long COVID within ethnic minority groups

Dr Dipesh Gopal from Queen Mary University of London’s Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry will be involved in a £119,634 project that will reveal the lived experiences of people with long COVID specifically in ethnic minority groups.

News story: British South Asian genetic study reaches record volunteer numbers

Genes & Health study, a project led by Queen Mary University of London, has hit a key milestone with 50,000 research volunteers now participating nationally to help address the under-representation of South Asian communities in genetic research. 

News story: Queen Mary awarded funding for new healthy ageing networks

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have been selected by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to create new networks aimed at transforming ageing research in the UK.

News story: Queen Mary and Barts Health Trust awarded new funding for early-stage clinical research

Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust have received £1 million in funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to integrate five Clinical Research Facilities (CRFs) and 18 disease-specific research groups into a combined CRF team.  The team will operate at various sites within Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London across east London.

News story: Genetic study gives extensive insights into severe Covid-19

Queen Mary University of London has contributed to the world’s largest study of the genetics of critical Covid-19, involving more than 57,000 people, and revealed fresh details about some of the biological mechanisms behind the severe form of the disease.

News story: New study shows light-to-moderate coffee consumption is associated with health-benefits

The study by Queen Mary University of London and the Budapest Semmelweis University has shown that having up to three cups of coffee a day is associated with a protective effect on heart health. It is also associated with a reduction in the overall mortality rate and the risk of stroke. The results have recently been published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology.

News story: New research in mice suggests social interactions and a sense of belonging can boost our immune system

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have found that socially housed mice have healthier immune systems than those who are socially isolated – who are more susceptible to longer term issues due to an altered immune system that comes from living alone.

News story: How CEG’s data scientists and support team are helping GP teams prevent measles outbreaks using software tools on practice patient records

By Carol Dezateux, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology and Health Data Science at the Clinical Effectiveness Group (CEG), Queen Mary University of London

News story: New approach to traumatic brain injuries could revolutionise diagnosis and treatment

New research led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust suggests that biochemical analysis of brain tissue could be used for diagnosis and prognosis of severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) to improve patient outcomes and save billions in future clinical trials.

News story: Delayed US sodium targets may cost 250,000 lives

Last October, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) finalised a set of short-term, voluntary goals for lowering salt levels in foods—five years after they were proposed in 2016. A new study published today in Hypertension—a journal published by the American Heart Association – involving Queen Mary University of London researchers shows the delay cost thousands of lives and concluded that if the food and restaurant industries would have adopted the lower salt levels presented in FDA’s proposed two-year and 10-year targets on schedule, as many as 265,000 lives could have been saved between 2017 and 2031.

News story: Whole genome sequencing robustly detects the most common inherited neurological diseases and is adopted by healthcare

Scientists have found whole genome sequencing (WGS) can quickly and accurately detect the most common inherited neurological disorders – something previously thought to be impossible – with the results supporting the use of WGS as a standard diagnostic tool within routine clinical practice.

News story: New drug combination for aggressive breast cancer could save thousands of lives

An immunotherapy drug called ‘pembrolizumab’ has been shown to significantly reduce disease recurrence in patients with the most aggressive type of breast cancer, according to results from a phase III clinical trial led by Queen Mary University of London and Barts Health NHS Trust.

News story: New study suggests changing breast screening programme timelines would increase detected cases and uptake

A new study led by Queen Mary University of London, published in the Journal of Medical Screening, has found that using a longer interval between screens but a higher uptake in the NHS screening programme for breast cancers could detect more cancers early than with the current interval and uptake rates. For example, a four year interval with 62% uptake would lead to 295 screen detected cancers per 10,000 invited, compared with 222 cancers with a 3-year round.

News story: New research shows ethnicity and deprivation are independently associated with dementia risk

People from ethnic minority groups and socioeconomically deprived areas face higher risks of developing dementia, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London published today in The Lancet Regional Health Europe.

News story: New research shows that children can play an important role in lowering families’ salt intake

A new study published in The BMJ and carried out by researchers funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at Queen Mary University of London and The George Institute for Global Health at Peking University Health Science Center, has shown that schoolchildren can help their families to successfully reduce salt intake via smartphone app-based learning.

News story: Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam answers Covid-19 questions at Queen Mary event

Queen Mary’s Institute of Dentistry recently hosted a virtual Q&A session with England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam.

News story: Global oral health expert Professor Manu Raj Mathur joins Queen Mary University of London

Professor Manu Raj Mathur will join Queen Mary University of London’s Centre for Dental Public Health and Primary Care on 1 February 2022 as Professor of Dental Public Health. 

News story: Comparing preprints and their finalized publications during the pandemic

A new study involving Queen Mary University of London researchers has explored how preprints compare with their published versions.  

News story: New Queen Mary research project aims to advance early cancer diagnosis in Africa

Researchers from Queen Mary University of London have been awarded £3 million funding from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to encourage earlier cancer diagnosis in Southern Africa.

News story: Optimising treatments for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease could save lives, according to researchers

A recent study shows that optimising medicines for high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease patients living in East London could reduce lifetime hospital costs and prevent cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and strokes.